PTSD workshops set to begin Feb. 22

PTSD workshops set to begin Feb. 22

February 17th, 2011by Hannah Campbell in Community Ooltewahcollegedale

Neurotherapist Savannah JG and acupuncturist Margie Wesley will host Managing Reaction, a recurring workshop beginning Feb. 22 for people with post-traumatic stress disorder and their friends and family.

"PTSD is something that affects not only the person who has PTSD, but everyone involved," JG said.

She said mild symptoms can include avoidance of places or things, insomnia and irritability, flashbacks, anger, violence, and paranoia.

Acupuncturist Margie Wesley, left, and neurotherapist Savannah JG will offer a recurring workshop for friends and family of people with post-traumatic stress disorder beginning Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Acupuncturist Margie Wesley, left, and neurotherapist Savannah JG...

Photo by
Hannah Campbell
/Times Free Press.

"Mistrust is a huge factor," she said.

The weekly workshops will also discuss causes of PTSD, including childhood neglect, sexual assault or robbery, and help attendees identify triggers and find treatment.

"There are so many people that are looking for support and they're looking for assistance but they don't know where to go," JG said. "They're just floundering out there on their own. I know there's people that could be helped but don't know where to go."

JG, who operates Keys 2 Success neurotherapy and life coaching on East Brainerd Road, said that as a neurotherapist she helps people find the connection from brain to emotion to help them manage their emotions and relax.

"The tools are very simple. It's a matter of slowing down the physiology and then we can go from there," she said. "I love the brain. We all have different circumstances. We all have different events. We all have different experiences in our lives. But the emotional approach is the same."

Wesley, who operates Alternative Health Guidance in the same office, said acupuncture can help people with PTSD smooth out their brain's fight-or-flight chemistry.

"It's going to allow the person to be able to handle their anger and their stress better so they can actually heal themselves," she said.

JG said her more scientific approach and Wesley's energy-centric approach work well together.

"We ultimately reach the same goal," she said, "calming that emotional eruption."

She said a patient's condition may not go away but he's better equipped to manage it.

"We were designed to feel emotion; we were not designed to manage emotion," JG said. "But if we can give them the tools it makes that a little bit easier."

Wesley holds a master's in oriental medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque, N.M. JG holds a doctorate from the University of Washington.